Page 69 of Cruel Heir

“Go.” Carla’s voice is sharp and piercing. “Rosa is right. We let youin because of who you married, Annette. But it’s clear that some things just can’t be painted over with a diamond and white satin.” Her mouth twists. “Get out of here.”

Annette’s cheeks have gone from pale to blazing. She backs up, her gaze flicking to each of us, even Bea—who has remained entirely silent. “This isn’t over,” she hisses, and then she turns on her heel, leaving through the broken doorway.

“I’m sorry about—” Carla starts to say, but before she can finish her sentence, Rosa interrupts—shocking both of us into silence.

“We need to talk, Lucia,” she says quietly.

“Let’s go up to the library. I’ll have some tea sent up.” The words come out automatically, spurred by years of being taught how to be a flawless hostess, but inside, I’m reeling. I desperately want to be alone, to lie down and try to find some sort of calm in the midst of all of this, but there’s no time for that.

Andre asked me to find out what I could, and it seems as if I’m on the verge of doing just that.

Once we’re in the library, Rosa sinks into a chair, looking at me. “The other dons are unsure of Andre,” she says quietly.

Carla immediately whips around, looking at her. “Rosa!”

“She should be aware. It’s Gaeta who is the problem. And he’s set Annette on her.” Rosa looks tired, leaning back in her chair. “No one was sure about your marriage, Lucia. It was all very strange. But if you’re pregnant—”

I feel my head spin. “So you were all spying on me?” My stomach twists, and I wonder if I’m going to be sick all over again. If Andre has no true allies at all.

“No.” Carla shakes her head. “But I think all of the dons were hoping to find out how solid this marriage that was arranged between you and Andre truly was. Annette took it too far. And it’s Rosa’s suspicion—” she pauses, looking at Rosa.

“Gaeta is trying to play both sides,” Rosa says. “I’m almost sure, from what I’ve heard—”

“Andre knows that,” I interrupt. “But how can I trust—”

This time, it’s Carla who interrupts. “Don’t play coy, Lucia,” shesays calmly. “We all know that if we’d let anything slip about our husbands, Andre would have heard about it. In time, when we could all be certain of the solidity of your marriage, of Andre’s loyalty, there could be trust between all of us, too. But you know as well as we do how this works. Weareshowing you that we’re on your side, by bringing this to you. Rosa only just told me this morning,” she adds. “She came here with me.”

Rosa nods. “There’s more to it,” she says quietly. “From what I’ve gathered, Don Gaeta is hoping to undermine both sides. To prove that your husband has no hope of an heir and no potential to lead the Family, that his marriage is shaky, and that his plans are ill-formed. And then, he planned to go to the elder members of the Family, and sway them to oust Don Fontana. His opinion is that if Fontana could lose control of his daughter and other dons who ought to be loyal to him, then his time as the head of the Family has run out. His suggestion would be that it’s time to shake things up. Not unlike Andre—but without the skeletons that Andre’s family has collected in recent years.” She lets out a breath. “Gaeta is playing a dangerous game. One that your husband can take advantage of, if he’s smart. I know my husband believes that he should take this to Fontana, and try to bridge the conflict between them. They could weed out Gaeta, and solidify both your husband and your father’s positions by removing a traitor together.”

“Andre could tell my father what Gaeta is doing.” I sink back into my chair, my thoughts racing. “It’s a possibility.”

“Your pregnancy changes things.” Rosa looks at me evenly. “Andre will have an heir. His family will be reestablished. Our husbands don’t always see this, but peace is better for our families than a civil war among the dons. You can make Andre see this. The others are hesitant to go up against your father. If Andre can find another solution, they’ll be happier.” She pauses. “A solution that doesn’t see your father coming after our families, as well.”

I can hear the hint of warning in her voice. There has to be a peaceful solution for everyone, or there will be conflict no matterwhat. Andre has to put an end to what he started—but not the way he once intended.

“I’ll talk to my husband,” I say quietly. “And we’ll find a way to resolve this. Without blood, if possible.”

“Good.” It’s Carla who speaks this time. I can feel her gaze resting heavily on me, and I feel, for the first time, the weight of a responsibility that I wasn’t prepared to shoulder.

But I have to. For the sake of the husband I’ve just begun to find that I can love, and for the child that we both now want.

War is not an acceptable option. Not when there’s so much at stake.

21

ANDRE

The news about Gaeta changes everything.

I’d known he was playing both sides. I hadn’t known he was stupid enough to think he could double-cross Fontana too—to go to the rest of the Family and suggest that they turn on Fontana with nothing but his petition to back him up and a claim that the feud between Fontana and I is a good enough reason to throw us both out.

It’s the biggest load of horseshit I’ve ever heard in my life—and it’s his death sentence.

Lucia’s first suggestion is that I go to her father before anything else—to ask him to make peace with me and go after Gaeta together. But I have a different idea.

I think what will change Fontana’s mind is something more dramatic. Something that will make him listen in a way that another meeting around a conference table won’t. And with the other three dons on my side, I think I can accomplish exactly that.

Amalfi, Di Falci, and Luisi are all in agreement. They’re the only ones I discuss it with—the other dons that we’ve allied with don’t need to be brought into it. I don’t trust the others enough to believe thatthey’ll continue to take our side in the face of this, and I don’t need any more risk. I would have rather told no one other than Amalfi, but I need more than just one other don backing me, when I do go to Fontana. I need corroboration. So I take Di Falci and Luisi into my confidence as well—especially since it was Luisi’s wife who told Lucia all of this.

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